Railway-car truck



Y 1,644,497 0st. 4,19% W-C SILEEMAN l RAILWAY CAR TRUCK Filed Feb. l, 1927 3 Sheets-$f1eet l 35%@ @wom/twg @me 4 9 W2K 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 W. C. SLEEMAN I vRAIMNP CAR TRUCK Filed Feb. l, 192'!" UCL 4. 1927.

W. C. SLEEMAN RAILWAY GAR TRUCK Filed Feb. l, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 WIL-Luni c. staunen. or sra-mussen, ALABAMA.'

namwarcan TRUCK.'

`Application 'led February This invention relates to car trucks and.

aims to provide an improved spring supporting arrangement whereby ear trucks of different load carrying capeeities'can be built with side frames., holsters and' spring planks of uniform size.

` The invention will be apparent from the following speciication when read in connection with the accompanying drawings in 1n whieh i Fig. 1 isv a side elevation of a portion of e car truck 4embodying my invention; Fig. 2 isa top plan thereof;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section of a portion 15 ofthe truck the section being on the line a-e of rig. e.

l Fig. 4 ,is a plan of a unit group ot' bolsterv supporting springs;

Figs. 5, and 7 are plan views showing the manner oi varying the grouping oit the springs in accordance with the load carrying capacity of diierent trucks for which the construction is adapted to be used.

Referring in detail to the drawings, 10 represents one truck side trame as a whole which is composed of the compression inember l2, tension member 14, upright columns 16. The latir are rovided 'with guiding surfaces 1S-1to1 coaction with guide ribs 20 formed on the truck bolster 22.

The spacing between the column supports 16 is greater than in the usual form of car truck and the design is such that a unit group of springs can be readily accommodated between thesesupports. As thus arranged car trucks of different capacities can be supplied by using side frames and other parts, 'if desired, of uniform size. This effects manufacturing economies and also enables the railroads to standardizetheir rolling stock with 'resulting sa'vingin maintenance costs.

Extending transversely of the truck below the bolster is a spring plank 24 having upturned flanges 26 which serve to approximately positionthe unit group ot sprngsto be presently described. The unit group ot springs. for example, that shown in Figs. 3 and 4. consists of upper and lower retaining plates 28 and 3() connect-ed by an axial bolt S2. The head '84 of this. bolt is seated in a depression 36 tornred in plate 28 and the shank of the bolt passes through a` suitable opening formed in th plate. At the lower end the bolt carries a nut 3S which is seated in a depression 40 formed in the lower plate 1, 19er. serial ne. lessee.

30 and theshank passes freely through an opening formed in the plate so that as the bolster moves up and down the bolt can ride through the opening in the lower plate, the nut at this time "entering a clearance opening 42 formed in the upper sideoi the tension member 14 of the side frame. As best shown in Figs. 4 to 7 inclusive, the unit group. of springs is so arranged that the carrying capacity of the truck may be readily varied merely by using a different numbei' of springs. For example, in Fig. t it.

is noted that the unit group is made up of sixsprings44. In Fig. there are outer springs indicated at 44, and a central spring 46 which is of the same size and capacity as the springs 44 and located within which is'a smaller'spring 48. p This arrangement will give a greater carrying capacity than the arrangement of Fig. 5 yet it will be readily seen that the unit group of springs is housed within the saine amount of space andl in fact is mounted between a spring plank and truck bolster of the same size utilized in connection with the spring grouping shown in 1Fig. 5.- To secure a much greater carrying capacity, the unit group of springs such as shown in Fig. 7 is preferably used which consists of seven of the larger size springs 44 and also ,seven of the smaller 'diameter springs 48 nested within the larger springs. lt will be understood that a truck of intermediate capacity can be secured by adding to the arrangement oi Fig. 6 one ore more ot the smaller diameter springs.

The spring retaining plates 28 and '30 are preferably of non-circular iorm. In the embodiment illustrated they areof substantially hexagonal shape. This form otretaining plate is advantageous because it compels the workman to properly position the unit group of springs with respeet'tol the other Vparts of the truck in such a way that the most eiiectwe distribution of the load is secured. Reference to Fig. 2 will show that the. center of the group of springs' is a point. which lies at the intersection of the line ab which is on the center line of the tension member 14 ot' the'side frame as viewed in plan, and a linec--d drawn ies through the longitudinal axis of the spring plank. The apothem or flat sides .of the hexagon lie substantially parallelvto the upturned flanges .26ct the spring plank and the distance between the opposed points of the hexagon is greater than the distance be- Vtweenfthe` upturned flanges,"lhence, the unit group of springs must be' insertedin the position shown. AThisris important'"because 1tv properly distributes .the 'weight 'or load in a predetermined manner. Itis noted that at the ends there will alwaysy be t'wo 'transe' versely aligned springs.'symmetrically arranged'. o n opposite sides of the center "line .rangement is lsuch that there are at Ileast i two springs which 'lie along'the'ceuter line 'of the springr plank'. Y IVhenja greater l capacity is requiredfand an additionallsprmg of large size is required. iti is-added' in the center. This equally distributes the panel load of the bolster 4as will be apparent4 from examination of Figs.- 6 and '7.

` The s ring retaining. plates 28l andBO, re-

2v` SP-ectivey, are provided with-outwardly eX- o tending projections 29. and 3i which are adapted to enter openings 33 and vforrned i respectively .in the 'bolster andthe spring plank soi as to correctly position or center the unit group of .springs with these parts. of the truck. l v

" I'The spring plates are alsol formed 'with 'inner projections which center the springs -I with respect to they plates yas shown in Figs.

`1and`2.

My improved construction is` an improvement `ov'entrucks heretofore. proposed such n v'necessaryffcr carrying required loads. With as the Dalmau and Chiles trucks which` requite certain stepped portions in side frames in order to accommodate additional springs ofn the tension memberfand the army design it is. apparent that the same size side lframe, spring plank and bolster can be used for trucks of d-i'erent capacities, and

that l,varying load conditions are taken care 'of by insertinga unit group of springs toV "sult requirervnents.

Various,modlcatlons and substitution of` equivalents may he made without Vdeparting' vfrom the invention as defined in the ap- .ment of said springs when assembling.

2. A car truck including a side frame, a holster. a spring` plank with upturned flanges. a group of at least six springs symmetrically arranged about a common center, a pair oi connected hexagonal retainer plates carrying spring centering 'projections adapted to position said group of'springs between said iianges so that at least two springs are aligned with thelongitudinal center. of said; spring plank.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name. I ',WILLIAM C, SLEEMAN. 

